Blog – Brock Environmental Centerhttp://cbf.houriganconstruction.com
Chesapeake Bay FoundationWed, 22 Feb 2017 19:37:34 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4CBF Brock Environmental Center becomes full Living Building Challenge certification recipienthttp://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/living-building-challenge-certification/
http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/living-building-challenge-certification/#respondThu, 12 May 2016 11:18:00 +0000http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/?p=1642Media Kit Download Printable Project Details Creating one of the most sustainable buildings in the world was no small feat. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) 10,000-square-foot Brock Environmental Center is located on the Lynnhaven River at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach, Va. Pre-construction for the Brock Center took one full year prior to construction […]

Creating one of the most sustainable buildings in the world was no small feat. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) 10,000-square-foot Brock Environmental Center is located on the Lynnhaven River at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach, Va. Pre-construction for the Brock Center took one full year prior to construction beginning. Construction began in September 2013 and was completed in October 2014. After the building was completed, training was required for its occupants – CBF and partner organizations – to teach everyone how to properly utilize and maintain the eco-friendly systems.

The Brock Environmental Center has achieved net-zero energy consumption and zero water-use and runoff. The educational facility is the first in Virginia, and one of the only commercial buildings in the world, to be LEED platinum, receive a full Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification, and to create its own drinking water from rainwater.

The Brock Environmental Center had to utilize components of sustainable construction and engineering to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge’s seven “petals,” which include: place, energy, water, health, materials, equity and beauty.

Place

The Brock Environmental Center sits on the last piece of undeveloped land at Pleasure House Point, a quiet peninsula of beach, marsh, and maritime forest near the Lynnhaven Inlet in Virginia Beach. The forest to the north of the Brock Center (containing loblolly pines), along with a connection to the river’s shore to the south and nearby confluence of the Chesapeake Bay, were key influences in the siting of the facility. The site, filled with walking trails, allows visitors to feel a connection to nature simply by sitting on the building’s wraparound porch. Site development focused on preservation of the local ecology, and includes a boat pier with floating dock and an open-air education pavilion.

Energy

In addition to being “net-zero,” the facility also sends power back to the electrical grid. In order to do this, the building uses renewable technologies include photovoltaic cells, wind turbines, geothermal wells, heating and cooling retention, rainwater usage, and net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. The photovoltaic system converts sunlight into usable electricity, while a geothermal wells system provides “cool groundwater” to the mechanical units inside the building for conditioning of interior spaces, generally saving upwards of 80 percent of energy over conventional HVAC systems. The two Bergey wind turbines provide approximately 40 percent of the renewable energy for the entire facility and the photovoltaics provide the other 60 percent.

Water

All of a Living Building project’s water needs must be supplied by captured precipitation or other natural closed-loop water systems, then treated and recycled on-site. In addition, purified water suitable for washing and showering must also be created without the use of chemicals. The Brock Environmental Center is also believed to be the first commercial building with an LBC certification in the continental U.S. to create its own drinking water from rainwater.

The components of Brock’s sustainable water technologies include:

Rainwater collection and treatment: rainwater is collected in a continuous gutter system on the sloped roof and diverted into a large wooden cistern. After moving through a whirlwind-like “vortex filter,” clean rainwater is separated from large particulates and debris. Rainwater containing debris is sent to rainwater gardens, while filtered rainwater is sent to two separate storage tanks and purified to make it suitable for hand washing and showering.

Rainwater gardens: unfiltered water containing debris is collected in multiple rainwater gardens located around the perimeter of the building. The gardens are comprised of native and natural vegetation and serve as a collection point for excess rainwater to pool and evaporate back into the atmosphere.

Composting toilets (blackwater): these self-contained units transform human waste into usable compost; the only byproduct is a leachate material that is held in an underground tank until it is drained and shipped to a struvite reactor, which transforms the liquid into fertilizer which is used by the Brock Center for the natural plants surrounding the facility.

Sinks and showers (greywater): this water is diverted to an underground storage tank where it is pumped to an elevated infiltration garden. Resembling an elevated flower and grass bed, the garden is filled with multiple layers of stone and soils. As the water filters through, it is cleaned to the point where it can re-enter the ground to go through the normal groundwater filtering system that nature has provided.

Stormwater: Water collected from the building and not treated to be drinking water is diverted to sunken rain gardens, planted with natural vegetation to allow water to recharge the groundwater without runoff into unprotected areas. Hard surfaces on the site such as paths, roads, and parking lots are constructed of permeable materials such as gravel or pavers, which allow the water to infiltrate the ground without the use of traditional stormwater structures. Any runoff is captured by vegetative swales, wide shallow ditches planted with perennial grasses, which hold the water until it can naturally filter back into the ground.

Pre-construction and planning took one year to uncover materials and technologies that could be used to meet the water demands. Many of the systems installed were new or previously unused by Hourigan or its partners. The result is both low-tech and state-of-the-art materials and technologies that manage water at the Brock Center.

Materials

When targeting LBC certification, as many design elements as possible are to be composed of recycled, reclaimed or salvaged materials, minimizing the carbon footprint and maximizing the retention of natural resources. The team also avoided building with the LBC red-list materials that contained chemicals harmful to humans and the surrounding environment.

Exterior

The chocolate brown, sleek wooden exterior siding of the Brock Center is harvested and reclaimed sinker cypress, known for its durability and longevity. Over a century ago, cypress timbers were floated downriver to lumber mills across the Southeast. But many timbers sank, and over time formed a natural preservative oil – cypresseine – that resists rot and insects. Sinker cypress typically lasts over 150 years without severe deterioration, making it a perfect choice for the exterior siding of the Brock Environmental Center. The roof of the conference room and the exterior educational area, made of 100 percent zinc, will last for 50 years. Fallen oak trees are used as benches.

Interior

Old school gym bleachers were salvaged for the Brock Center’s interior wood trim, while reclaimed maple wood flooring was pulled from a Virginia Beach middle school gymnasium and used throughout the entire facility. Salvaged ceramic tile is used in restrooms, and old champagne corks are repurposed as knobs.

Windows

Sourced from a factory in Lithuania, windows in the facility are triple-glazed with three panes of glass, each separated by a half-inch air space, giving them an insulating capacity (known as an R-Value rating) of 6 – very high for a window system. The 100 percent FSC-certified wooden frame and aluminum cladding reduce thermal conductivity and are Category 1 hurricane-wind resistant and were the only windows in the world that met the specific R-value required for the building envelope.

Architecture

The building rests on an elevated concrete superstructure 8-feet above ground level (to satisfy the 100-year flood plain), serving as the primary occupancy floor for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s office and conference room functions. Straight lines do not exist in nature, therefore natural shapes and boundaries were used to blend the structure of the facility with the natural surroundings.

Access

Project teams were challenged to design a site that promoted pedestrian travel and reduced vehicular traffic without restricting access (the LBC’s “car-free environment”). Three ADA parking spaces were created adjacent to the building, the only permanent parking spaces on-site. Deliveries and drop-off access is accomplished with a permeable, minimum-width road that makes a circle at the western end of the building, providing an area for short-term parking. Staff and visitors park nearly 600 feet from the building in a lot constructed with a permeable paver system, then walk along a footpath. New trails on the site allow travel by foot or bicycle.

]]>http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/living-building-challenge-certification/feed/0Best of the Best Green Project: Brock Environmental Centerhttp://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/best-best-green-project-brock-environmental-center/
http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/best-best-green-project-brock-environmental-center/#respondWed, 16 Mar 2016 19:22:26 +0000http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/?p=1634The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center was awarded “Best of the Best Green Project” by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine. The article is below, and can also be viewed here. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center is the first building in the U.S. to get a permit to make potable water from rainwater. That […]

]]>The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center was awarded “Best of the Best Green Project” by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine. The article is below, and can also be viewed here.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center is the first building in the U.S. to get a permit to make potable water from rainwater. That is no small accomplishment. To do it, the building had to become a public waterworks, says Greg Mella, the principal in charge of the $8-million environmental education building for SmithGroupJJR.

The rainwater treatment system is just one of many super-sustainable systems in the 10,520-sq-ft building, which achieved LEED Platinum certification last summer. Brock also is on course to achieve, soon after March 31, Living Building certification from the Living Building Challenge (LBC).

Locating the center on an ecologically sensitive site allowed the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to implement its bay advocacy, restoration and education efforts in one location but also necessitated preserving and protecting the setting. A goal was to showcase energy, water and waste treatment technologies to produce a building that operates without any negative environmental impact.

The building form and its siting incorporate passive solar principles to maximize daylight. The roof is built to collect rainwater for treatment.

The center is one of about 150 buildings worldwide pursuing Living Building status. The rigorous green building program, administered by the International Living Future Institute, requires a year of successful post-occupancy performance for certification.
For designation as a Living Building, the environmental center has to comply with seven strict performance areas, called “petals”: site, energy, water, health, materials, equity and beauty.

The energy petal has the imperative of net-zero annual energy use, which means the building must produce as much energy as it uses in a year. Since April 1, Brock, which was completed in November 2014, has produced 85% more power than it has consumed, says Mella.

For the water petal, the building must be net zero and create an ecological water flow. Attaining the water petal was the most challenging of all seven because it required state-agency approvals. To get the permit, “it’s important to start meeting with authorities early in design,” says Mella.

To meet the materials petal, the team had to avoid materials and products that contain harmful chemicals, such as polyvinyl chloride, formaldehyde and halogenated flame-retardants. This required intense collaboration of the design and construction teams early in design.

The Brock team is openly sharing its “substantial, exhaustively researched” materials database, which meets the demands of the LBC, says the architect. The transparency is part of the Brock team’s commitment to the production of healthier and safer buildings everywhere.

To meet LBC goals, the project also had to contribute to the regional economy. The team followed an extensive list of restrictions on source locations of materials and services, based on distance from the project site.

Toward its green imperative, the team selected as many salvaged materials as possible. Items—such as wood seats reused for trim—were merely cut to length and sealed rather than completely re-milled. Other reused material includes wood flooring from a school gym and champagne corks repurposed as pull knobs.

To achieve the building’s deeply sustainable features while maintaining the budget and the schedule, the owner, architect, contractor and subcontractors had to work in unison, says Hourigan. A Living Building project requires increased teamwide cooperation and communication.

]]>http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/best-best-green-project-brock-environmental-center/feed/0Brock Environmental Center Charrettehttp://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/photos/brock-environmental-center-charrette/
http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/photos/brock-environmental-center-charrette/#respondTue, 15 Mar 2016 21:31:30 +0000http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/?p=1615A charrette was held in February with all the major stakeholders in the design and construction of the Brock Environmental Center. They gathered together to review lessons learned during the project.

]]>A charrette was held in February with all the major stakeholders in the design and construction of the Brock Environmental Center. They gathered together to review lessons learned during the project.

CBF STARTS CLOCK TO MEET LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE

GOAL: NET ZERO IMPACT AT BROCK CENTER FOR ONE FULL YEAR

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. – The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) today began year-long monitoring of the Brock Environmental Center aimed at achieving Living Building Challenge certification, a rare, environmentally demanding designation achieved by only a handful of buildings around the world.

To achieve the rating from the International Living Future Institute, the center must operate a full year using net zero energy and net zero water, among other strict requirements. With its super energy- and water-efficient features, including solar roof panels, wind turbines, geothermal wells, and rain cisterns, the Brock Center is among the most environmentally smart buildings in the world.

“We started the year-long clock at 12:01 a.m. today,” said CBF Hampton Roads Director Christy Everett. “Our intention is to operate the center for the next 12 months using no more electricity than what the sun and wind generate and no more water than what rain provides. It will be an enormous challenge, but that’s our goal.”

In addition to energy and water use, the Brock Center also must meet strict criteria related to five other Living Building Challenge standards, called petals: place, health and happiness, materials, equity, and beauty. All require twelve continuous months of operating data to demonstrate the center meets the International Living Future Institute’s strict standards.

“We know there may be some glitches over the course of the year, and we’ll deal with them if and when they arise,” Everett said. “But we’re attempting something few others have ever done. And we invite everyone to join us on the journey to see how we’re doing.”

The public is invited to follow the progress of the year-long monitoring by checking the Brock Center’s online “dashboard,” a running, real-time gauge of the building’s energy and water use. The dashboard can be seen at cbf.org/brockdashboard.

“When we envisioned the Brock Environmental Center, we intended to raise the bar and demonstrate the built environment can actually give back to the natural environment rather than harm it,” Everett said. “We hope the Brock Center can be an international model for sustainability for years to come.”

Opening late last year at Pleasure House Point, the Brock Environmental Center houses CBF’s Hampton Roads staff and that of Lynnhaven River NOW, a Virginia Beach watershed organization. It also serves as headquarters for CBF’s award-winning environmental education programs in Hampton Roads and features meeting space for community discussions and collaboration. This week, Virginia presented a Governor’s Environmental Excellence Gold Award to CBF for the Brock Environmental Center.

Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced the winners of the 2015 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards, which were presented today at the Environment Virginia Symposium at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington.

The awards recognize significant environmental contributions in three categories: sustainability, environmental projects and land conservation. They are given to businesses and industrial facilities, not-for-profit organizations, and government agencies.

“These awards highlight the excellent work done by Virginia organizations to protect our natural resources,” Governor McAuliffe said. “Award winners demonstrate leadership with their innovative methods, and it is a pleasure to recognize these outstanding efforts.”

The Gold Medal winners are:

Chesapeake Bay Foundation for its Brock Environmental Center, which was designed and built as a model of sustainable green building practices including the use of only recycled and reclaimed materials during construction, renewable energy installations, and a rainwater capture system for drinking water.

Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund, Inc. for its conservation of the Natural Bridge, which is being permanently protected for use as a regional education center and will become a state park.

Virginia Living Museum for its Living Green in the Bay Watershed program, which exemplifies the museum’s mission of promoting stewardship and conservation practices through engaging exhibits to promote sustainable practices by Virginia residents.

Award winners were chosen based on criteria including environmental benefit, stakeholder involvement, public outreach, transferability and innovativeness. The awards are sponsored by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Additional information on the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards is available on the DEQ website at www.deq.virginia.gov.

]]>http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/publicity/vml-magazine/feed/0Photos of the Completed Projecthttp://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/photos/photos-completed-project/
http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/photos/photos-completed-project/#respondSun, 15 Mar 2015 19:44:14 +0000http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/?p=1660Detailed photographs of both the exterior and interior of the completed CBF Brock Environmental Center

]]>http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/photos/photos-completed-project/feed/0Video: The Story of the Brock Environmental Centerhttp://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/video-story-brock-environmental-center/
http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/video-story-brock-environmental-center/#respondFri, 13 Mar 2015 13:15:53 +0000http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/?p=1582This video shares the story of the Brock Environmental Center from the beginning to the end and the process to make it the greenest building in Virginia.

]]>http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/video-story-brock-environmental-center/feed/0Brock Environmental Center Aerial Photographyhttp://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/photos/brock-environmental-center-aerial-photography/
http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/photos/brock-environmental-center-aerial-photography/#respondFri, 06 Feb 2015 19:51:27 +0000http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/?p=1564The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center was completed in the fall of 2014 and is aiming to be the most sustainable building in Virginia. The building is targeting Living Building Challenge certification and LEED Platinum. The Center is 10,000 square foot and surrounded by 108 acres of land at Pleasure House Point in Virginia […]

]]>The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center was completed in the fall of 2014 and is aiming to be the most sustainable building in Virginia. The building is targeting Living Building Challenge certification and LEED Platinum. The Center is 10,000 square foot and surrounded by 108 acres of land at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach, VA.

]]>http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/photos/brock-environmental-center-aerial-photography/feed/0Drone Fly Through of Completed Brock Environmental Centerhttp://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/drone-fly-completed-brock-environmental-center/
http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/hc-posts/drone-fly-completed-brock-environmental-center/#commentsWed, 28 Jan 2015 15:56:44 +0000http://cbf.houriganconstruction.com/?p=1557Get a tour of the completed Brock Environmental Center through the view of a drone. The video showcases some of the unique sustainability elements that contribute to the building being the greenest and most sustainable building in Virginia.

]]>Get a tour of the completed Brock Environmental Center through the view of a drone. The video showcases some of the unique sustainability elements that contribute to the building being the greenest and most sustainable building in Virginia.